Team Stats

Passing Yards

Rushing Yards

Turnovers

Time of Poss.

LEXINGTON, Va. – Franklin & Marshall opened its 2011 campaign with a 24-10 setback to No. 18 Washington and Lee Saturday afternoon in non-conference football action. Five turnovers proved too costly for the Diplomats to overcome against one of the top teams in Division III. The loss ends a three-game season opener winning streak for the Diplomats as they fell to 0-1 on the season.

The Generals (1-0) struck first with a 40-yard, 7-play drive, 45 seconds into the second quarter. Charlie Westfal found Alex Evans for 10-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 W&L lead.

F&M answered on the ensuing possession with a 12-play, 57-yard drive capped off with a 25-yard field by Chris DeStefano. The Diplomats had a scoring opportunity with 1:56 remaining in the half, but Rob Look intercepted John Harrison on the nine-yard line keeping W&L ahead 7-3 at halftime.

W&L added three in the third on a 40-yard field goal by Peter Alston with 3:45 remaining in the quarter.

Down, 10-3, F&M's defense forced the Generals to punt on their first possession in the fourth quarter. The ball hit an F&M player and was scooped up by W&L on the Diplomats' nine-yard line. Brett Murray hit pay dirt from six yards out two plays later to give W&L a 17-3 lead with 10:29 remaining in the game.

F&M again answered the bell with a touchdown on its next possession. Harrison found Lamont Jackson with a 17-yard scoring strike to cut W&L's lead to 17-10 with 7:20 left in the game. The drive was kept alive when F&M faced a third and 16. Harrison found John Kaschak for a 32 pass to to extent what would be an eight-play, 63-yard scoring drive. Harrison had 59 of his 302 yards on what turned out to the Diplomats final scoring drive.

It took the Generals a little over three minutes to answer with on a 65-yard, six-play drive for the 24-10 final. Westfal took it himself on a six-yard jaunt for with just under four minutes to play.

The Diplomats drove into W&L territory with a little over two minutes to play, but John Beriont intercepted Harrison to preserve the victory.

Harrison threw for 302 yards on 28 of 46. He had two interceptions and a score.

Russell Steward led the Generals on the ground with 57 yards on 10 carries. Westfal completed 3 of 9 passes for 30 yards and one score and rushed for another touchdown. Defensively, Jesse Jenkins notched a team-best 11 tackles while Alex Castelli chipped in a pair of sacks.

The Diplomats return home next Saturday for their home opener against Muhlenberg. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.